Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Some foreign backpackers visiting Queensland, Australia are earning money by working as illegal prostitutes. The Queensland Adult Business Association says that their actions are undermining the legal sex industry to make a profit and uphold health and safety standards. From The Age:

Mr Inskip said many backpackers counted on making extra cash during their visit.

"Especially when you go up to northern Queensland, it's not unusual for them to be working in the illegal escort industry," Mr Inskip said.

"No one asks to see their passports.

"If you go to a licensed brothel the first thing they do is ask for your passport and whether you are here legally."

He said illegal escorts often undercut legal brothels in terms of prices, because they had fewer overheads and it was difficult for the tax office to track the workers.

"They can charge less because they are not paying GST, staff costs for managers and receptionists, or have a registered business name," Mr Inskip said.

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Producer, Director, Cinematographer. Creator of hit show Singapore Haunted. Spurs fan, experienced astronomer and occasional ITK. I.Z. Reloaded covers news, pop culture, blogs, websites, gadgets, the fascinating and the weird from a Singapore perspective. The blog is a runner up in both the 2006 Weblog Awards (Best Asia Blog) and the 2004 Asia Blog Awards (Best Singapore Blog) and it is also the first Singapore blog to be syndicated by Newstex. Send him stories, invites, sponsorships at izreloaded[at]gmail[dot]com.